


Q&A

by AyashiTetsuko132



Series: AyashiTetsuko132's Muggle AU Series - Remus Lupin & Nymphadora Tonks [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Chronic Illness, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-29 10:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18221891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AyashiTetsuko132/pseuds/AyashiTetsuko132
Summary: Lupin declined an opportunity for the band to reunite. He had bigger questions to answer.





	1. Questions

**Author's Note:**

> Set in the same Muggle AU as Tricked. Happened just after Ginny began her friendship with Tom.

When Remus John Lupin was younger, he really enjoyed reading _Sophie’s World_ and had tried to answer the questions in the book in his own context:  _Who am I? Where does the world come from?_

Even as he lived passed forty and his youth turned into nothing but memory, the gentleman still found himself asking those very same questions. He was not interested in technical answers such as “I am an English teacher and debate club supervisor at Hogwarts Secondary School, and I used to be in a rock band.” His aim was the more intimate one --answers that he should be able to find whenever he arrived home to 394 Wolfsbane Drive after a long day at work.

His house was old and weather-beaten; he found himself wondering how much savings he had left every time he looked at its door (which needed new paint) or window sills (which needed to be replaced). Yet it was still a warm and lovely place to live in. Lupin took pride of the begonia that blooms in spring, the bird feeder that he built himself, and the hilarious “Wipe Your Paws Here” doormat he had bought online years ago.

But what kind of answers did he find in this home?

Once he had walked in, like in that fine evening in September, he would hang his coat and softly announced “I’m home” --only to be welcomed by silence. Deep inside, he was hoping that for once, someone would give him a favourable reply (but he also knew that he might get a heart attack if that ever happened).

Shoving the questions away from his mind, the gentleman then dropped his bags in the study and carried a shopping bag from a nearby supermarket to the kitchen.

Using the movements of someone who was accustomed to the process, he took out the vegetables from the bag to wash them in the sink before eventually taking out a piece of meat and some fresh herbs from the refrigerator.

Lupin was just about to start chopping when he suddenly remembered something. He then took out his phone and searched for this new video call app that his students (and his colleagues) had been raving about: the Floo app.

A loud “Hello?” boomed through the room as soon as he managed to set his phone on a small corner of the table, leaning on a bottle of sauce.

“No need to shout, Sirius.”

“Whoa, this app is really good, yeah! I don’t even need to ask if you can hear me and all those bollocks.”

Lupin smiled. “So, you want to continue where we left off?”

His best friend and former bandmate Sirius Black had ruined his mood this morning when he suddenly showed up in school, and forced to barge into the classroom when Lupin was teaching.

The two of them had been friends for almost a lifetime: The most important years of their life were marked with the formation of The Marauders, a British rock band that they had started with friend James Potter in their twenties. Starting off in underground clubs, the band released three albums in total and tasted 15-minute of fame when their hit single _I solemnly swear (that I’m up to no good)_ exploded --pretty much at the end of their career.

Their manager Peter Pettigrew --who started out as a loyal fan-- ran away with all the money they had made in their entire career, leaving them broke and devastated. When the band was forced to break up, Black fell into depression and locked himself up in his mother’s house while Lupin was forced to return to university (which he had been tempted to leave in the first place). Potter, the activist among them, went on to work at an international aid agency with his paediatrician wife Lily.

The couple was eventually kidnapped and killed when on duty in a conflict zone, leaving their son Harry under Black's care as his godfather.

With Potter's death, the fate of The Marauders was pretty much sealed: They were to remain history forever.

Until a certain group of people showed up at the office of Black Dog Records, where Black was its founder and CEO, to convey a great news to him.

“Yes! So the award show is set to happen in February, and they want to give us a lifetime achievement thing at the peak of it,” Black said. “And they also wanted us to perform as a closing act! There will be a moment to remember James and all … Basically, they want to honour us!”

The man was so excited he did not realise that he was standing too close to the camera; the video was then dominated by his nose.

“That’s great. Never thought anyone would remember us like that,” Lupin replied, peeling an onion.

“Then let’s make this happen! Let’s reunite!”

“Umm ...”

“What’s with the ‘umm’?”

“You don’t realise it, do you?”

“What?”

Lupin dropped his knife to cross his arm and look at Black in the nose. “We don’t have a drummer. Also, it’s been forever. I don’t think I even remember what the first album was called.”

“It was self-titled. The second one was _Snivellus the Sad Boy_ … You know, that guy in high school James liked to bully? Heard he’s a judge now. I’m just glad he never tried to prosecute us.”

Lupin waved his hand. “That’s not my point.”

“So what is it? The drummer? Oh, I know … We can use hologram!! A hologram of James! That'd be cool!"

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Lupin picked up his knife again.

“It’s not!”

“Who’s going to pay for that!?”

“Me!”

“Waste of money!”

“No, it’s not!”

The two then got involved in a mini quarrel until Black decided, to Lupin’s annoyance, that this will require further discussion over meal tomorrow. “And I feel like fish-and-chips. See you at Molly’s?”

“If you think I am going to change my mind, you are so mistaken.” Lupin stirred his beef stew angrily.

“Oh, I rarely do, believe me.”

“It’s one of those days!”

“Not!”

Lupin turned towards the camera and stuck his tongue out.

Black waved his hands in despair. “Look at that. I can’t believe I trusted my godson’s education to a fucking twat like that.”

Lupin laughed, moving a large bowl closer to the stove. “Alright, dinner at Molly’s. But believe me. You’re not changing my mind.”

When his best friend was silent for a moment, Lupin grew suspicious and turned to the camera again.

Black had adjusted his face’s position to the camera so that it could finally be seen in its entirety. Lupin saw that the man was sitting in his dining room; there was an image of Harry sneaking a bag of crisps into his jumper in the background. The school teacher was just going to let his best friend know about it when he noticed the sadness in his face. “What’s the matter?”

“Remus, honestly. What’s wrong? Why … Why you don’t want this to happen?”

Lupin went quiet.

“I thought this should be fun? Playing together again?”

Lupin looked like he was trying to say something, but his beef stew needed to be poured into the bowl. Only when he was done with the task that he finally lifted his head to face the camera again. “There’s only two of us left, Sirius.”

“It’s going to be a very lonely reunion.” He added with a sad smile.

Black licked his lips, wanting to say something, but then a scream was heard in the background.

“What’s that?”

Sighing deeply, Black scratched his head exhaustedly. “I think my Mum just threw her dinner to the nurse again. I’ll be right back.”

The video call was ended with a swooshing sound.

 

-

 

Having spent some time in the shower, Lupin found himself walking around the living room smelling like soap in his favourite paisley-printed pyjamas. His bathrobe swished as he stopped to place a glass of water on the small table beside his father’s armchair, which was set to face the television in the most convenient angle possible.

There was another sofa in the room, but since his father passed away, Lupin considered the armchair to be his designated place.

Setting himself comfortably on it, his attention then shifted into a small cigar box on the small table. He opened it, took out strips of medicines, and counted the number of pills that he had until it was time to visit the clinic again. The good news was that there was enough for next two weeks.

It had been more than two decades since he learned of the existence of The Virus in his body.

If there is anything that he refused to define himself with, as a response to the existential questions raised earlier, was the illness. He would hate that. No matter what you decide to define yourself with, it should not be something that was set to destroy you. Lupin would rather build himself up than being defeated; he would rather be remembered in health than in sickness.

Thanks to a disciplined lifestyle, he had been relatively well for someone with a deadly virus in his system. Not only that the treatment prevented his illness from developing into The Worst, Lupin was also able to keep himself fit throughout the ordeal.

Yes, he experienced a terrible weight loss, which led doctors to prescribe a diet of heavy carbs and protein load. But he managed to minimise infections, and it had actually been a while since he last got sick.

But mental-wise …

His diagnosis came out as a huge shock, certainly. It was one of the reasons why he considered leaving university and embracing the bohemian lifestyle anyway --because the social structure would not take in someone with this kind of ailment.

But luckily, his parents had been extremely supportive. They pushed him to continue his education as it would give him a qualification, and (hopefully) a stronger bargaining position.

 _You’ve always wanted to be a teacher_ , his late mother said. _Don’t let it take that away from you._

As a side effect of his medications, he would sometimes fall into a mild depression. But the doctors had it taken care of.

So the only challenge remained was relationships.

Of course he knew how to protect himself and his partners, and the doctor stressed that he could continue having a love life. But Lupin was scared. Not only of accidents, but also of how he might be perceived by potential dates. He even broke up from an ex-girlfriend as soon as he was sure that her test came back negative.

He had taught himself to be content with being alone. But he knew that his loneliness might eventually kill him, so after lengthy talks with his psychologist, he dared to begin dating again.

He even pushed it further by being honest about his status.

“Let’s see …,” the man muttered, taking out his smartphone once he was done with his medications.

Oh, his students would drop dead if they find out that their teacher had dating apps on his phone. He even kept it as a secret from Black; the man may had been very supportive, but when it comes to matter of the heart, he could be a total arse. And Lupin was not in the mood to be laughed at.

Results of his attempts varied. There had been some good matches, both men and women. But when they finally met, he struggled to find any connection with the person. There were some dates who turned him down upon finding out about his status; one even accused him of deliberately trying to spread the virus. That person was immediately blocked, of course.

That night inside the dating app, Lupin had a feeling that it was going to be another useless attempt. So he turned on the television instead.

But when he remembered that the new season of _Doctor Who_ was not out until next week, he decided to just give it up and go to bed.

 

-

 

“Wait! Wait for me!”

Running with all his might to the bus stop, Lupin cursed the meeting he just had earlier with a student’s parents --which could had been an email. He ended up being late to the meeting with Sirius, forcing him to catch the only bus that was heading to the direction of the restaurant that hour.

Luckily, he managed to jump onto the bus just as its door was closing.

“In a rush, Mr. Lupin?” said the old man behind the steering wheel.

“E-Ernie … You … Lifesaver,” he replied breathlessly while tapping his card on the scanner.

Still with his head spinning, Lupin then walked towards the back of the bus to find a place where he can stand comfortably. Once he did, he mindlessly lifted up his hand to grab the handle.

And jumped when he touched something warm instead.

“S-sorry!”

“It’s okay.” A soft voice responded.

Lupin decided to take a glimpse of the person standing next to him, and his heartbeat stopped for a moment when he caught the sight of the young woman. She was wearing a knee-length black coat with combat boots, dark-coloured torn jeans, and a band T-shirt, and had two bags slung over her shoulders.

If there was anything that was more eye-catching than her piercings and spiky accessories, that would be her shocking pink hair.  

Facing the front side of the bus, her expression remained indifferent even as Lupin found it hard to continue breathing. While her hair was distracting, he secretly found her nose to be … Kind of cute.

Feeling terrible for staring, the school teacher then turned his head the other way around for the rest of the journey. The good thing is that it did not take a while until he arrived at his destination. So he tried to forget his encounter with the pink-haired woman and moved on with his life.

But when he got off the bus, he heard a soft thud from behind him. Turning around, he found the pink lady on her knees, picking up all the things that had fallen out of her bag.

Lupin immediately rushed to help her.

“T-Thank you,” she muttered.

The gentleman smiled politely as he continued to help picking up the things: A rolled up T-shirt, a rabbit-shaped wallet, a smartphone, a pack of cigarettes, and --to his surprise-- a pair of drumsticks. Which he handed to her with curiosity in his eyes.

“This is embarrassing …,” she said, putting everything inside her bag again.

“Oh, no, it’s …”

The two of them were just about to stand up when their forehead hit. “Ouch!”

“Sorry!”

“Oh, no! I’m sorry! Did that hurt?”

“Oh, it’s all right, it’s just …”

The two people continued to apologise to each other, until the woman decided that she had to rush. With a polite wave of his hand, Lupin excused her. He waited for a moment before he started walking again --because the woman happened to head to the same direction as he was.

But his intention seemed to be useless as minutes later, she stopped and turned to face him.

Lupin gulped. “I wasn’t following you, I swear.”

“Good. I might be small, but I know how to tackle a bison.” She smiled.

“Useful skill to have.”

The two of them laughed. Lupin found his heart beat stopped again when he realised that she took a step back -- just to adjust her steps with his.

“Have we met before?” she asked.

“Minutes ago, on the bus?”

She laughed. “That’s clever. Yeah, you look familiar. Perhaps I’ve seen you at the restaurant.”

Lupin lifted his shoulders cheerfully. “Hopefully!”

The woman laughed again, and Lupin hoped that she would continue to do so, as he really liked how it sounded. “So, you’re … On the way to work?”

“Yeah. One of the works.”

“How many are there?"

“Well, I wait tables in the afternoon and night. And manage a tattoo parlour in the morning.”

“And play drums on the weekend?” Lupin asked.

The woman stared at him curiously, forcing him to wave his hands in panic. “I assume? Seeing the drumsticks earlier …”

“Oh, that! Yes, you’re right … Anyway, I’m Nymphadora Tonks. But call me Tonks.” She extended her hand.

He welcomed hers in a warm handshake. “Hello, Tonks. I’m Remus Lupin. Please call me Remus.”

“Did anyone ever tried to call you Remy or something?”

Lupin had to hold off his laughter. “I sincerely hope they don’t.”

“I honestly feel like I’ve seen you somewhere, you know,” Tonks said, putting her index finger on her lips. “Hm. So what do you do? You got this librarian vibe going on.”

“I teach English in secondary school. And I used to be in a band, but that was the past ...”

She gasped. “I’m talking to a teacher!”

“Why? Did the dog eat your homework?”

The two of them continued to talk and laugh as they go along the street with quaint little shops on its sides. Both of them then stopped in front of a small fish-and-chips shop situated between a shoe store and a fruit shop.

“Well,” Tonks swung her bag. “This is where we part …”

Lupin stared into the shop’s all blue exterior, and the cartoon lady that was drawn on its window. He then stared back into Tonks, who was standing by his side. “Well, I hate to tell you this, Tonks …”

 

-

 

When Lupin and Tonks walked into the fish-and-chips shop, there were only two or three guests inside as dinner time was just about to start. Among them, Lupin’s attention was drawn towards Black, who was talking passionately to shop-owner-slash-lady-boss Mrs. Weasley.

“She had been living in the nursing home, which she picked herself, by the way … But last week, out of nowhere, she suddenly wanted to move in with me. Because the nurses stole her food or something,” Black spoke passionately.

“Aww. She misses you,” Mrs. Weasley responded.

“I wish that was the case! She’s running out of people to torture there … So she’s after me and Harry … Oi, Remus! Sit down. Was just telling her about my mother,” Black continued.

“Hi, Molly. Long time no see.” Lupin smiled while taking his seat.

“Remus! It’s good to see you outside of the school!” Mrs. Weasley said cheerfully.

She then added in a whisper, “After this I need you to tell me about my kids. You know. Their grades and everything.”

Lupin laughed. “No problem.”

“Order something,” Black said, handing the menu to Lupin. “By the way, do you know that this place has a secret menu? Say a password and they make you something that’s not in there.” He pointed at the actual menu.

Mrs. Weasley giggled. “You were meant to find it out yourself, but since it’s you two … The password’s ‘the burrow’.”

Lupin went blank. “‘The burrow?”

At this point, a teenage girl with bright red hair showed up to take Lupin’s order. “Hello, Mr. Lupin.”

“Ginny! Nice to see you again,” he replied with a bright smile to his student. His attention was then shifted to Mrs. Weasley again. “Why a burrow?”

Mrs. Weasley giggled. “Oh, it’s named after our first home. It’s not the real thing!”

“All right, I’ll have The Burrow then. And mineral water,” Lupin said, turning his head towards Ginny again, who was already distracted by her smartphone.

“ _Ginevra_.” Mrs. Weasley’s tone sounded dangerous.

The girl jumped with eyes wide opened. “Oh! Sorry. One The Burrow coming.”

With an embarrassed face, Ginny ran into the kitchen.

“I need to talk to you, Remus, I think she’s in love or something. Keep staring on her phone like that … But I need to excuse myself for now,” Mrs Weasley sighed.

Her expression immediately changed. “It’s very nice to have you two here! Just let me know if you need anything.”

The two gentlemen then thanked her. As soon as she left the table, the smile on Black's face faded. “Let’s go straight to the point.”

Lupin straighten himself up. “I’m ready.”

“Good. All right, what is exactly your problem? Why you don’t want the band to reunite?”

Lupin took a deep breath, looking as if he was considering his point carefully. “I just feel that … At this age, it’s not something that we should be doing anymore.”

Slightly offended, Sirius slammed the table. “So what am I supposed to do, then? Take my grandson to the park?

“You don’t have one.”

“That’s not the point.”

“The point is, the reunion is not right. James is no longer with us. Peter … God knows where he is. I certainly hope he’s in jail somewhere, of course, but … It’s just not right, Sirius. To gather again when we are not even complete. It’s sad!”

“We’re over that already.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Are we not even allowed to, I don’t know, enjoy bits of our glorious past? The good old days!? To receive honour for our achievement … You know what? We need intervention.” Black was definitely losing his patience.

He then turned towards the direction of the cashier desk, where Mrs. Weasley was talking to Tonks. “Molly! Oh, hi, Molly … We need a little help here.”

Lupin felt like banging his head on the table.

“And how can I help you?” Mrs. Weasley asked with a smile when she arrived at the table.

“Remus is being tough, Molly. The Marauders --you know, our dear little band-- was just being offered by the Brit Awards to close the show in February. It’s basically our first chance of a reunion! After all these years,” Sirius explained.

“That’s amazing!”

“Yet Remus here …”

“So that was why.”

A fourth voice that sounded different than any of theirs suddenly appeared. Everybody turned their heads, and Lupin felt a greater urge to bang his head on the table when he caught Tonks standing right behind him.

“Tonks, what are you doing?” Mrs. Weasley did not sound very pleased, but the pink-haired woman ignored her completely.

“So that was why you looked so familiar! You’re THE Remus Lupin! From The Marauders!” Tonks shouted. “And you must be Sirius Black! Wow! So you guys are going to reunite at the Brit? That’s fantastic!”

“See? Even the lady here thinks it’s a great idea. Thank you very much, Miss …,” Black said, shaking hands with Tonks already.

“It’s Tonks, Nymphadora Tonks.”

“Miss Tonks! Thank you.”

“I guess problem is solved already,” said Mrs. Weasley, walking away from the table.

“No, it’s … Why are you attacking me like this!? We don’t even have a drummer! How …”

“I can play for you,” Tonks jumped in.

All words were lost as the two gentlemen turned, once again, into her direction.

“Yeah, I’m a drummer. If you’re cool with it, I’m willing to fill in,” she continued.

“I just love it when people are positive like this.” Black shook his head, staring at Tonks with admiration in his eyes.

Lupin knew he had to stop this, but Tonks already dragged a chair. She then sat facing the backrest, which she used to support her arms. “I learned to play the drum using your music. I even know songs from your first album!"

“Self-titled.” Black pointed at Lupin, who was ready to bite back, but chose to focus on Tonks instead.

“Look, that’s very kind of you, but … We never even see you play.” Lupin leaned closer to the woman, trying his best to remain calm.

“Then name the place and I’ll jam with you.”

“Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, 1PM, this Saturday?” Black hurriedly responded.

“Deal.”

Before Lupin could say anything, Ginny suddenly returned to the table to deliver two large seafood platters, which included Mrs. Weasley’s signature fish-and-chips. 

This meant the battle had to be stopped. At least temporarily.

 

\--

 

When Lupin arrived at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place that Saturday, even before he managed to ring the bell, the front door immediately swung open to greet him. Black looked as if his birthday was coming earlier when he saw his best friend; his satin bathrobe smelled strongly of sandalwood when he hugged Lupin.

The school teacher appeared indifferent to his best friend’s reaction, but he did politely hug him back. “Don’t take this as me agreeing to the proposal. I’m just testing the water here.”

Lupin then picked up the case containing his bass guitar from the ground, and walked into the house.

While he would usually wore school-appropriate outfit such as a tidy old shirt behind his jumper, trousers, and comfortable old leather shoes for his daily activities, that day he opted for a black T-shirt underneath his clean-cut brown leather jacket, completed with jeans and trainers. He felt that the different sides of his life requires different outfit.

When Lupin walked into the living room, his heart skipped another beat when he noticed that Tonks was already sitting there. Something inside him fluttered when he saw the details in her look that day: A denim overall, a white long-sleeved T-shirt, combat boots, and a red bandana that was used as a hair band. There was a studded black leather jacket next to her on the sofa. She also had a cup of tea in hand, making her look even more like a spunky comic book character --and he really liked that. “Well, hello there.”

“Hey. Look who decided to come,” Tonks said, placing the cup on the table.

“Yeah, I can’t leave you alone with him,” Lupin replied, pointing at Black, who was already busy pacing up and down. Tonks giggled.

“All right, people. Let’s just start ASAP. Come!” Black jumped in, completely oblivious to Lupin’s insult.

The three of them then moved to the house owner’s private studio, which happened to be located at the attic. Along the way, the passed by an old lady in wheelchair who was yelling at characters in a television drama. They also passed by a bedroom with sounds of video games background music coming from the inside; Lupin assumed it was Harry’s.

Once the musicians were inside the studio, they immediately went to occupy their designated spaces. Black already had his battered old Fender Telecaster ready as the perks of being the person who own the place, while Tonks had to adjust the height of the chair before she can even begin to play.

Lupin himself chose to sat in the corner while getting his bass ready. It was not that he never touched the instrument again after The Marauders broke up. In fact, he would occasionally jam with some musician friends in the first two to three years. But then as he started teaching, he would had fewer opportunities to do it again.

This is why he was worried that he had become rusty. But the moment he got the bass in his hands, changes happened.

There was always this magical, tingling feeling whenever he picked the instrument up; as if he was only fully awake when he plays music.

Even when his mind was filled with uncertainty like that day, he knew immediately what to do. Music had always had an anchoring effect for him like that.

And when Black played that familiar riffs, which marked the beginning of the band’s hit single, he actually wondered if he should say yes to this.

As he played, he kept a close watch on the way Tonks played, as they were supposed to maintain the rhythm together. That woman was good, and she even had a similar style with Potter --the only thing that she needed to work on was only her stamina. But whenever Lupin looked away, he felt like Potter was in the room with him.

By the time they finished the first round, Black looked like he was ready to die and go to heaven.

Tying up his long hair, with his guitar still hanging on his shoulder, he just would not stop talking. “This is marvelous! We are so going to blow them away! Tonks! You’re so amazing! They wouldn’t be able to tell between you and James!”

Tonks muttered her gratitude with a pink blush on her face that almost matched the colour of her hair.

“When I tell the organiser about this …”

“If we perform at the show,” Lupin added casually, taking a gulp from his glass of water.

The excitement was immediately dropped. All heads were turned towards Lupin’s direction, with Black looking as if he was just being pushed down the stairs of his own house. “Excuse me?”

“What?” Lupin responded.

Even Tonks tried to signal to him that this is not a wise move to make. From behind the drum set, she slowly shook her head while silently mouthing _“No.”_

“Remus. We just had hours of really, really good jam session. What do you mean ‘if’?”

Lupin waved his hands. “Well, it’s amazing. There’s no denying that. But I’ve told you, I was just testing the water here.”

Black crossed his arms. “You still have doubts after _that_?

“I haven’t made up my mind.”

“It’s kind of insulting, isn’t it?”

“No need to be insulted. I am just not entirely convinced, that’s all.”

That did it.

As a reaction, Black slammed his guitar to the floor and stormed out of the studio. He did not even make any effort to keep his voice down when he kicked the door open, and when he walked down the stairs later.

“Wait … Sirius!” Lupin ran out of the studio to catch him. He stopped at the beginning of the stairs, trying to get a clearer look of his friends downstairs. “Sirius! I’ll explain to you!”

“There’s nothing to explain!”

That was the last thing they heard him said before the door to his bedroom was slammed.

Moments later, they heard the old lady screaming angrily about noises upstairs, but after that the house returned to silence.

Staying on top of the stairs, Lupin did not realise how long he had been lamenting the situation when someone tapped his shoulder softly.

“I think it’s time that we find a solution,” Tonks whispered.


	2. Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to imagine The Marauders as sounding like these bands:
> 
> Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To  
> The Clash - London Calling  
> Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop  
> Sex Pistols - Submission

The solution that Tonks proposed to Lupin was dinner.

In less than an hour since the fight at the studio broke, Lupin found himself sitting near the window of an Indonesian restaurant with Tonks, dealing with sticks of chicken satay on a mini brazier in front of them.

He just would not stop apologising for dragging the woman into this situation.

“Hey, no big deal. Just curious, though ... Why you really don’t want this to happen?” Tonks said, dipping her satay into a small plate of peanut sauce. “Is it because of the drummer thing? You don’t want anyone to replace James?” 

Chewing his food slowly, Lupin shook his head.

“Because, I think, it's very easy to solve. You can always find a good drummer these days,” Tonks added.

She then pushed the plate of peanut sauce to Lupin's direction. “Use the sauce.”

“Yeah, well … It’s more than just that, actually.”

“Then what is it?”

Lupin sighed, contemplating the peanut sauce in front of him. “It’s a matter of … Well, this is going to be a bit personal, but …”

“Hoo let.” Tonks spoke while biting the meat off the stick.

“Yeah, too late,” Lupin laughed softly.

He then took a deep breath, as if composing himself before talking about difficult things. “Okay, so this is the truth. Basically, I have this feeling that ... I really don’t want the past to catch up with me.”

“Which part of the past, exactly? Is it really that bad?”

Lupin lifted up his shoulders as he took his turn with the satay. “Not necessarily. There were certainly bad days, of course, but in general, we were really happy. Even before he stole our money, we only had happy memories of Peter.”

Tonks’s eyes widened as she covered her mouth with her hand. “Is that what happened!?”

“Yeah. But even if that never happened … I would still prefer to move on. The past may had been good, but it’s over. Being stuck will only distract us.”

“And this reunion … You see it as being stuck into the past?”

“Correct.”

The two became silent as the waiter delivered two plates of _nasi goreng_ to their table. They proceeded eating in silence until Lupin felt the need to add something.

“But that was me. For Sirius, well, I’m sure he has his own reason to want this,” he said. “Which is why I have my doubts. Because, at the other hand, I want to make him happy.”

Tonks giggled. “You two are really that close, eh?”

Lupin rolled his eyes. “He has a tattoo of my name. He’s stuck with me forever.”

“Bloody hell!?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s so romantic! Are you two …”

“No, no! We’re not lovers!”

Lupin had shouted so hard that other guests stared at them. Embarrassed, he then toned down his voice and leaned closer to her, who immediately welcomed his move. “Sorry. It’s not just me; there are James and Peter as well. But I suspect he crossed Peter out. I don’t know. Never seen the thing.”

“Where is this tattoo located?” Tonks had this strange glint on her eyes while she toyed with a piece of shrimp cracker.

“His rib. Not sure which one. Don’t want to look.”

“Ah … I need to find a way to see it.” Giggling, she bit her crackers cheerfully.

Lupin felt something sharp stabbing his chest at the thought of Tonks seeing his best friend naked. “W-Why are you so fascinated by this!?”

“Because it’s amazing! I’ve seen people tattooing names of their girlfriends, mothers, dogs … But never their bandmates!” she rambled on. “Maybe I should invite him to the parlour, offer discounts or something.”

Lupin took a long, hasty gulp of his drink. He needed help to get rid of mental images of Black undressing for Tonks, and letting her touch all of his tattoo collection. Including those on his ribs. _Especially_ those on his ribs.

“How about you? Do you have any? I think you should get one.”

“Nah, no need.”

“Scared of needles?”

“No. I’m sure your place implements proper procedure and all. But I don’t want to risk it.”

“Risk what?”

Lupin was trying to cut a piece of chicken drumstick when he realised what he just said. Hearing nothing from the woman, he then let go of the meat and lifted up his head.

Tonks was staring intently at him. Her meal was completely forgotten as she waited for Lupin's explanation, yet her eyes told him that she already knew what he was going to say.

Honesty was the only way to go then.

“Yeah, uh ... That’s the thing. I’d been tested positive.”

“With ...?”

“The three-letter thing.”

She covered her mouth. Lupin could only give her the most comforting smile he could; a standard procedure for whenever people find out about his status. 

“Oh my God. _Remus_. I’m so sorry.” She reached out to hold his hand, which he gladly accepted. “When was that?”

“Well … I found out about it in my twenties, when the band was still around. So I might got it in my teen. Through … An incident.” He preferred not to talk about it at the moment. Better ease her up to it.

She looked like she had lost all her words, but her grip on his hand tightened. “How do you feel now?”

“I’m actually feeling really well! I have my meds, and I go to the doctor regularly. My CD4 count has been really strong in the past years, so …”

She kept on staring at him with sadness on her eyes, so he shook her hand playfully to ease the tension. “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry. I've survived the past 20 years!”

With a smile, he added, “If I’m lucky, I can get another 20.”

“I’m worried about you.” She had both of her hands on his.

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

“Let me know how I can help. Seriously.”

“Will do.”

The two of them spent the next minutes in silence.

Their meals were forgotten while their hands remained together.

 

-

 

“As an apology for ruining your evening with my life problems and dark secrets …,” Lupin said, inserting a receipt into his wallet. “Let’s go somewhere else.”

Dinner was already over and the two of them stood under the awning of the restaurant. The sky had gone completely dark and Tonks had to put her hands inside her pockets to keep herself warm. “Where to?”

“Up to you. My treat. Drinks? Desserts?”

“Diamonds?”

“Moving fast, aren’t you?”

The two of them laughed at the same time. Not sure where to go, Tonks then suggested for them to just stroll around. “You don’t have a curfew, right?”

"You just mistook me for my students.” Lupin picked up his guitar case.

As they continued their journey through the night, the pair talked about Lupin’s work as a teacher. About how, despite being liked enough by the students, he would still be at the receiving end of various kinds of pranks.

Fred and George Weasley once slathered all the markers in the classroom with petroleum jelly, so that they flew off whenever Lupin tried to uncap them. There was also a time when Lupin opened his drawer at the teacher’s office, only to find it being filled with tennis balls.

“Those evil twins! They once put a frog inside the cash register. I almost died screaming,” Tonks yelled as they passed by an electronics store. A bored-looking teenager with pimply face was standing in front of it, handing out balloons with promotional copies on its surface.

“Wonder what Molly ate when she carried them,” Lupin muttered, accepting the balloon from the salesboy.

He took a glimpse of the writings before handing it over to Tonks. “A gift for you.”

Tonks pretended to gasp when she received the balloon. “A 40 per cent discount! Is this how you woo the ladies?”

“Works every time!”

She slapped his shoulder hard as she laughed. Smiling to himself, Lupin realised that he could not stop figuring out new ways to keep her laughing. For he adored how she threw her head back whenever she did it. Hell, he even loved how she snorted when it got unbearably funny.

As if the universe was listening to his prayer, she suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him closer.  

“Hey. You know what would be fun?” she whispered.

The images showing up in Lupin’s mind were too embarrassing to admit, so he just stayed quiet and listened. But Tonks’s eyes widened in excitement, and her head nodded rapidly, as if she really needed him to ask. "W-What?"

“We should ask ourselves, ‘What would Fred and George do?’!”

Lupin was silently mouthing his second ‘ _What_?’ when Tonks seized him away, forcing him to walk faster. The woman’s eyes seemed ablaze with fire, hungrily searching through the crowd for her first target as the promotional balloon in her hand bobbed madly …

She decided on a group of tourists who was taking a wefie at one corner of the street.

“I've a terrible feeling," Lupin muttered.

“Follow my lead,” she whispered.

The group was counting down from three; all of its members were readying themselves to pose with their fingers making a victory sign in the air. Just as their countdown closed to one, Tonks pulled Lupin to the direction of the group, making the two of them part of the wefie.

When all heads in the group turned to their direction, they were already sprinting to the other side of the road, panting and laughing as they made it.

It was not long until they found their second target --with Lupin taking an active role in finding them.

“College students. Near the lamp post,” he whispered.

Just as the students hit the camera button, the two of them jumped right behind them, making their blurry images part of the picture.

Their third victim was a young woman who was recording herself talking about the area.

“Hi guys, I’m currently at Soho and this is Saturday night …,” she cheerfully greeted an invisible audience. “After this, I’m going to …”

Her smile faded as she noticed Tonks and Lupin standing right behind her, blocking the view of the street and making their best “ _Oh my God, we’re on telly!_ ” and “ _Hi Mum!_ ” faces. The promo balloon also made an appearance.

With a disgusted look on her face, the woman turned off the recording and tried to walk faster. “ _Freaks_ ” was the last thing she said to the two.

Once the vlogging woman was gone, Lupin and Tonks found a couple who seemed to be fighting in front of a coffee shop.

“I didn’t cheat! I swear!” the man yelled.

“Then why did she call you ‘love’!?” the woman yelled back at her boyfriend.

Lupin stopped right beside the woman, shaking his head with a grim look on his face. “Unacceptable.”

“Yes, Fernando, you should be ashamed,” Tonks added, crossing her arm at the other side of the bewildered woman.

The two of them then walked away from the couple, leaving them too dumbfounded to continue fighting.

“You know him?” Lupin asked.

“Nope. But looked like a Fernando to me.” Tonks shrugged.

“Oh, okay.”

They continued their walk, but their eyes had stopped looking for new targets. Lupin assumed that Tonks had become a little too exhausted to continue playing their little game, so he opted to give her a moment of silence --which he also felt in dire need of.

He only broke his silence when they moved towards the underground station.

"Anyway, uh ... I just realised that I don't have your number."

"Oh yeah!" Tonks took her phone out. "I'd like to have yours as well."

The two of them stopped only to exchange their numbers.

"I'll let you know once everything's settled," Lupin said, putting his phone back in his pocket.

She grinned. "I'll be waiting."

"I mean, we ... I ... I'd definitely love to have you on board. You're a good musician." Lupin waved his hands around. 

"But you haven't made up your mind." 

"Um. Yeah. Well. If not, we can always hang out," Lupin said.

"If you don't mind, of course," he hastily added.

The woman did not give an immediate answer. She walked away from him instead, the promo balloon bobbed together with her steps.

At the entrance of the underground station, she turned and gave him an impish --yet strangely lovely-- smile.

"Can't wait," she whispered. 

Following her to the station, Lupin found himself grinning from ear to ear at the thought of spending time with Tonks again.

He was so overflowing with happiness, basking in the joyful radiance of the woman in front of him. It was so powerful that he had to turn his face away from her at the moment. His aim was to manage this sudden surge of feelings that was so foreign, new, and --at times-- a tad bit suffocating.

The man distracted himself by staring into his surroundings; the people that passed him by, the ads on the wall. They engulfed him with a comforting silence, so cozy that he was shocked to hear his own voice whispering into his ear.

_… In general, we were really happy._

The gentleman gasped for suddenly, out of nowhere, he had a new understanding of why he did not want the reunion to happen.

 

\--

 

On Monday afternoon, Lupin walked down a corridor in the record company office with a curvaceous lady in red business suit. Everything in the office was either black or white; the interior was sparse, giving a futuristic and sterile feel to the atmosphere. When he walked passed a recreational room, Lupin even had a feeling that he had just seen a gigantic slide coming through the ceiling.

The woman directed him to the room at the corner. “I’ve been told to always let you in whenever you come here,” she said with a warm smile.

“That's very nice. Thank you, Rosmerta.”

Lupin then pushed the door open, and found himself entering a large executive office that was more decorated that the rest of the facility. There was a large painting of a black dog in the centre of the room, exactly behind a massive glass desk. At the other side of the room was a set of black leather sofa while the other featured a shelf full of vinyls and its player.

Sitting on a chair behind the glass desk was Black, wearing his signature white shirt, which was meant to look messy and stylish at the same time. He had a studded leather belt peeking from under the shirt, and there was a strategic rip at the knee of his black pants. Lupin was able to tell that he also had his combat boots on, as the man had his feet propelled on the desk.

He had his guitar in his hand, but it was clear that he was talking to another person in his laptop. “I can only approve for as much as 100,000. Anything beyond that just doesn’t make sense, sorry.”

When he noticed Lupin walking in, he rolled his eyes in exhaustion. But he let him sit on one of the chairs in front of him anyway.

The person in his laptop said something, but Black did not seem to be interested. “Those were my last words. Take it or leave it. Now, excuse me, I have a guest. 'Bye. Talk to you later.”

He closed down his laptop as the conversation ended. “It's Monday, and you're in my office. It’d better be important.”

The tension that had been dividing them since two days ago continued its stronghold.

“You showed up in my classroom when I was supervising a test,” Lupin replied, staring at him coldly. “I believe some of my students had sent you a thank you note.”

“I’ll check with Rosmerta.”

“Please do.”

The two best friends sat in silence as Black practiced a few chords on his guitar. Both insisted on not speaking. However, feeling the need to maintain his dominance, the CEO then decided to be the first to break it. "You’re not here to sit and stare at me, right?”

“I’m here to apologise.”

“Ah.”

“I finally understand my problem with the reunion. And I want to work on it.”

Black lifted up his head; even his sour face failed to hide the curiosity in his eyes. He then took his feet down from the desk, and placed his guitar on a stand hidden behind his chair. “Care to explain?”

The chair made a creaking noise as Lupin tried to fix his sitting position. “Yes. I ... I’m a firm believer in living in the moment. Especially, you know, after everything that had happened in my life.”

Lupin thought he saw a glint of sadness in his best friend’s eyes, but he chose to ignore it for the moment. “This is what I told Tonks over the weekend. I didn’t want to take part in the band’s reunion … Because I saw it as an act of looking back. And I despise looking back. I want to focus on what’s ahead.”

“You two spent a weekend together! Hm.”

“That’s not my point.”

“We’ll get into that later.”

“Fair enough,” Lupin sighed. “Now, I used to think that I hate looking back, nostalgia, or whatever … Because I don’t want to revisit all the terrible, dark emotions that I had once felt. Because I don’t want these emotions to ruin my present.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I was wrong.”

Black arched his eyebrows, looking more interested in the conversation than ever. “I like it when you’re wrong.”

Lupin ignored his insult. “It’s not the sadness that I had been avoiding. It’s actually happiness.”

Another moment of silence passed as Black knocked his knuckle repeatedly on the glass desk.

There was almost no change in his sour expression; in fact, he looked as if Lupin had just thrown him another bullshit. “Now that’s a first.”

“Yes. Turns out one can fear one’s own happiness. That’s what I have been doing,” Lupin stared at his own feet. “I avoid the reunion, not because I fear dealing with James’s death, or Peter’s betrayal, or my diagnosis …”

The gentleman closed his eyes, preparing himself for the hardest part of the conversation.

“We had happy days together, Sirius. You. Me. Everyone. Even Peter.” The school teacher tried to smile through his tears. “Its memory shines so brightly that ... I don’t think I can ever handle its light."

Once he was done, silence crept back into the room to fill in the empty space between Black and Lupin.

Shaking his head slowly, Black then moved to pick up a nearby tissue box. He took out some for himself before handing it over to Lupin, and the two men quietly dabbed their eyes for another moment.

“Don’t say anything again …”

“See? You feel it. Even talking about it hurts. Haha,” Lupin said, forcing a laughter. “I don't know if I could deal with it.”

Black angrily threw the used tissue into a dustbin. “Fuck! For a split second, I actually missed Peter.”

"Even his memory was important."

"Yeah. Bloody hell."

“That is why, I decided to take part in the reunion.”

Black's chair made a squeaking sound as its owner made a sharp turn.

He leaned himself forward; his sharp, grey eyes stared unblinkingly at his best friend’s.

“I’m done running away from my own happiness. And I want to start from here," Lupin stated firmly.

Feeling relieved, he leaned back to his chair, expecting to do nothing but waiting for response from his best friend. To be honest, he was not even sure if there was still any time left to confirm their participation in the event. But at least he had given everything that he got.

Closing in the distance that he had maintained ever since Lupin entered the room, Black then reached out his hand over the desk to have a fist bump with the man --which he welcomed. “Took you forever.”

“Sorry. Getting old.”

For the first time since Lupin arrived in the room, Black got up from his chair and walked to the shelf of vinyls. Lupin just noticed that there was a small refrigerator near it.

The man came back to the desk with two cans of beer.

“So …,” Black threw himself back into the chair. He then pushed a can of beer towards Lupin’s direction. “Tell me about weekend. Did you score?”

 

\--

 

Hermione Granger rushed through the door of Auntie Molly’s Fish-and-Chips Shop, making the bell attached to it ringing endlessly. She was uncharacteristically late to the event, and the fact everybody was already taking their place made her even more self-conscious.

All the tables in the restaurant had been moved to one side of the room, to accommodate the food that everyone was bringing to the private event. Meanwhile, all the chairs were being arranged to face a large LCD screen on the wall; in the middle of the room, Percy seemed to be operating a laptop and InFocus, livestreaming what seemed to be a music concert.

All the chairs were being made more comfortable with pillows and bowls of popcorn. Ron was sitting in very front, having a heated conversation with Fred and George, while Ginny was sitting beside the twins, completely fixated on her smartphone.

Apart from the Weasley family members, there were also many familiar faces from school, including Neville and Luna. Most of them had occupied their seats, but not all of them were paying attention to the show.

“What did I miss?” Hermione whispered when she arrived at the front row.

Ron turned to her direction. “Hey! Come here! The show’s already started, but their part hasn’t.”

“Yeah, we’re honestly just waiting for that,” said George. “Oi, Fred! We should figure out a prank for Mr. Lupin tomorrow. You know, to congratulate him or something.”

Fred muttered while munching on his popcorn. “I think … _Ouch_!”

Taking her attention away from her smartphone, Ginny decided to use the opportunity to slap her brother’s head with a pillow. “Mr. Lupin is a good teacher. Don’t you dare pranking him.”

“Yeah, find someone else,” Hermione added, taking some popcorn from Fred’s bowl.

She was just about to say something to Ginny, who was already busy with her smartphone again, when Percy suddenly called upon everyone to have a seat.

“This is it! They’re giving the award soon!” he yelled.

With a flurry of panic, the light in the room was immediately dimmed, and everyone held their breath as the popular rock band The Weird Sisters showed up on screen (Ginny squealed excitedly at their sight). They seemed to be standing next to a podium and was about to read an announcement, when the lights on the larger stage behind them darkened.

“For many of you, this song would remind of a bottle of Butterbeer,” said the lead guitarist of the band, reminding the audience that the song was once used in a TV advertisement for the beverage.

“Yet for the rest of us, it was more than just a catchy single of a British rock band,” their bagpipe player added.

“It is also an epitome of hard work, friendship, and craftsmanship at its highest level. From a group of dedicated musicians who had continued to inspire us all, even at the end of their journey,” the lead vocalist concluded.

He then lifted up his hand and pointed to the larger stage behind him. “So give it up for … The one and only … The greatest among them all … THE MARAUDERS!”

There was a montage of different types of videos on the screen. In these videos, there were scenes of the band’s various live performances and music videos. There were even scenes of the band members laughing inside a Volkswagen Kombi, doing a photo shoot in a studio, toasting with bottles of beer backstage, and jumping into a swimming pool at someone's backyard. 

At the end of the montage were snippets of an interview with a bespectacled man, whose jet-black hair stuck out on its end. He was talking passionately about music and how it connects people from all walks of life.

His interview ended with the writings “In loving memory of James F. Potter” followed by the dates of his birth and death on a black background.

As the montage ended, the camera shifted focus to the larger stage as a catchy, familiar intro to a rock song began, followed by smashing drum beats and sexy bass lines.

The audiences in the fish-and-chips shop could not prevent themselves from clapping, cheering, and (much to Percy’s distaste) throwing popcorns in the air.

The camera took a close up to Black, as he screamed to the microphone, standing on stage with his guitar and looking as wild as he had been.

When he was not singing, he would jump, spin, and run around the stage, completely oblivious to the fact that he was not as young as 20 years ago.

The camera also captured the other side of the stage, where Lupin was standing calmly, perfectly focussed on the rhythm of his bass.

Occasionally, he would lean closer to the microphone to sing alongside Black. There were even moments when Black would stand behind him, giggling as the two share a microphone.

On the best parts of the song, he would throw his head back and closed his eyes in ecstasy. At this sight, many of his students in the shop dropped their jaw in disbelief. It was the very familiar face of their teacher, but the smile, the carefree attitude, and the intense focus on his music were completely foreign to them.

In fact, for a few seconds, some actually thought they had a crush on their English teacher.

Then, on a pedestal with her pink hair was Tonks, banging on the drums and muttering the lyrics of the song as if she was singing around at home.

There were moments when Lupin would turn to face her to match up their rhythm, and she would bit her lip eagerly, as if the prospect excited her so.

At her sight, Ginny had completely forgotten about her smartphone. Together with Mrs. Weasley, the girl screamed her name as if she had always been famous all along.

“You know what, fuck it! I’m dancing!” Fred yelled, standing on top of his chair and dancing around, followed by his twin brother. Everyone in the room soon followed their action, leaving their chairs and dancing around, with the exception of Percy, who insisted that he needed to keep watch of the laptop.

The song peaked with fireworks attraction, and at this point, everyone in the fish-and-chips shop clapped their hands in appreciation of the short, sweet moment of nostalgia.

When commercial break happened, the audience used the opportunity for toilet break or to take another glass of fruit punch. But it was not long until Percy warned them that the show had come back on.

This time the camera focussed on the smaller stage, where members of the band gathered to receive their lifetime achievement award.

Black and Lupin already had their trophy in hand. Meanwhile, replacing Potter in receiving the trophy was none other than his only son.

“Woohoo! Harry!! Yeah!” Ron screamed to the screen.

“Look at that, Arthur! Harry is receiving his father’s trophy!” Mrs. Weasley shouted.

"Yes, yes, Molly! Stop pinching me!"

Everyone watched in silence as Harry stepped towards the microphone, his hand clutching the trophy tightly. His face was as pale as the inside of a radish, and the crowd in the fish-and-chip shop already feared the worst.

Noticing his expression, Black then rubbed the boy's shoulder warmly to give him encouragement.

The boy then took a deep breath, and started speaking. "Uh ... I ... On behalf of the Potter family ... I would like to extend our gratitude for ... This award."

As if being commanded, the crowd held their breath in unison. Meanwhile, once he had better control of his breathing, Harry looked like he was determined to finish the speech well.

"So ... Uh ... I have only ever known my father for a s-short time. Yet I have always been told about his kindness, his warmth ... His love for music. And most importantly, his ... dedication. To humanitarian work," he continued.

Taking another deep breath, he slowly lifted up the trophy. His hand was visibly trembling, but his facial expression was calmer than before.

"May this award serves as a reminder for us ... to continue on living his spirit."

By the time Harry ended his speech, as the only person who remained expressionless throughout the ordeal, Percy had to distribute boxes of tissue to the crowd.

 

\--

 

"It's finally over," Lupin muttered to himself, leaning back to the seat of the car. "These five grueling months are finally over." 

"Time flies when you're having fun, right?" Tonks giggled.

The two of them were riding through the night in a taxi, heading home soon after the award ceremony. Lupin disliked celebrity parties, and Tonks was worried about finding a ride home. So the two of them decided to go earlier and leave Black at the afterparty --as he would be the one most benefited by such occasion anyway.

Lupin went through the beginning of the journey home with his eyes closed. The man was not asleep; he was just trying to release his fatigue while adsorbing the joy that he had felt earlier when he was on stage.

Meanwhile, Tonks was busy replying messages and comments on her smartphone. She could not stop smiling and laughing while occasionally shaking her head. "People are so kind! They sent me all these messages, saying congrats and everything."

Lupin opened his eyes. "Hey. They weren't being kind. It's because you were amazing!"

"No!"

"Seriously! Just wait. In two days, everybody will want you in their band."

He turned towards her direction. "Look. Even I don't know if I can ever thank you enough. You've filled in for James, and you did a great job with it."

Tonks sighed. "You're too sweet."

"I'm serious, Tonks. You even managed to persuade me into joining this. You have no idea how important that is."

With a bright smile on her face, the woman then put her smartphone back inside her rucksack. Suddenly giddy with excitement, she then leaned back to the chair. "I ... I was just happy to be part in this, you know! The Marauders is one of my favourite bands. And today I got to share a stage with you guys, and then Sirius said he wants me to come to this party, at his home next week. Because he wants to honour me!? What? It's unbelievable."

Lupin laughed. "Yeah, his mother finally decided to move back to the nursing home. Now he's free to host those wild parties again."

"She did? Why?"

"The usual stuff. Said she was haunted by the ghost of her great-grandfather in that house. So she wanted to move out."

"Poor lady. Sometimes I pity her."

"It's a win-win solution."

"Yeah."

There was a brief moment of silence as Lupin fixed his sitting position; he would then sat facing the woman with this serene, attentive look in his eyes. "Meanwhile, I will never stop saying this: I owe you so much."

"Remus!" Pink blushes started to appear on her cheeks, and she slapped his knees playfully. Lupin laughed, but his laughter quickly faded as his expression went back to being serious.

"I'm not joking. And, uh ...," he continued. "Now that the project is done, I want to talk about something personal ..."

Tonks turned her head towards his direction, waiting patiently for him to finish.

"I'd also like to honour you. With a special occasion." He dared himself to take her hand. "Just the two of us."

She did not rejected his move. "You mean a dinner date?"

"Possibly."

"Followed by us playing that game again? 'What would Fred and George do'?"

Lupin took a deep breath, and he used the moment to move closer to her direction. If she had minded him being too close to her, she did not show any sign of it.

In fact, her gaze was completely fixated on the gentleman. 

"I prefer to think of ... What Remus and Dora would do instead," Lupin whispered.

"Hm. I imagine this one doesn't cost any victim ..."

"No, it doesn't. They're nice people.  After dinner, perhaps they'd just go and see a gig. Have a beer or two."

"Or ice cream! I wonder if they sell it on winter."

"I think they do, just have to find it. Or ... They'd just go home."

"And watch _Doctor Who_."

"And have a cup of hot chocolate ..."

Lupin's words trailed off into silence as he leaned in to kiss the woman. 

As if she had been intending this to happen, she welcomed him gladly. Sliding herself closer to his body, clutching his knees eagerly.

With his hand on her warm cheek, Lupin allowed himself to get lost in the sensation of being this close to Tonks. Tasting her flavour, exploring her shape. Letting go of what he had been holding back in the past five months. Surrendering to his desire for intimacy, with her and only her. He felt a fire burning inside him as he noticed how she responded with the same level of excitement.

When they let go of each other, there was no longer any space between them. She had closed her distance. He let her stay in his hug for the rest of the journey, while her hand drew circles and spirals on his knee and thigh.

Giving up on her was extremely hard when the taxi arrived in front of her flat. 

He held the door for her as she got off the taxi with the rucksack, leaving a trace of satsuma scent inside the taxi. Standing close together, they said their goodbyes with a little kiss.

"I'll call you." He whispered.

She smiled softly while her hand caressed his jacket, as if she was trying to tidy it up. "Actually ... I feel like hot chocolate tonight. Care to join?"

 

\--

 

As the day turned into night, the lights flickered on one-by-one to reveal a quiet residential area somewhere in London.

The houses stood so close together one can only imagine the kind of secrets that had leaked through the neighbours’ walls throughout the years --residents even joked about being able to cry when their neighbours peel onions. Somewhere, dogs were barking at each other, as if speaking in a code only they can understand.

As if the barking was his cue to entry, Lupin turned into the street from one corner, heading home after a long day at school. He was whistling gladly, and would stop for a moment to say hello whenever a familiar face showed up on the street.

His smile grew as he got closer to the house number 394 --and found a young woman with bright pink hair walking down from the other side of the street. 

She caught him too, and a mischievous grin appeared on her face as she quickened up her pace. 

Lupin noticed the changes in her pace as well, so he made changes in his.

She was almost sprinting. He needed to move faster.

By the time the two of them arrived at number 394, they both already had their keys out. The final battle would be to determine who would arrive home first, so they ran with all they might towards the door.

It was not clear who managed to get the door to open. They all tumbled down to the floor, rolling and laughing at their own silly little habit on the old carpet.

"I got here first!"

"No, I touched the floor first! It's mine!"

She tried to get up, but he caught her in his arm instead. With a swift movement, he kicked the door closed to give them some privacy. And proceed to kiss her as they lay side-by-side on the floor. Eager. Joyful. Intimate. Could not bear to be far from each other.

Everyday when he came home, Lupin no longer had to wonder what he would answer the questions in his mind with. No longer having to resort to technical, boring answers, he could finally say --with pride-- that he was a happy man.

A fearlessly happy man who did not have to hide. From his own sources of joy.

The first question from the _Sophie's World_ book had been answered. He could finally move on to the next.

 

**END**

 

 


End file.
